Government To Crack Down On Illegal Roadside Ads

Housing and planning minister, Yvette Cooper, has urged councils to crack down on illegal roadside ads, following a seven-week consultation on outdoor advertising, according to reports in the trade press.

The government has asked councils to work closely with the Highways Agency to reduce the number of ads placed by motorway services, out-of-town retail parks, farmers and roadside cafes, which could potentially be very dangerous for drivers.

Suggestions under the new guidelines include councils keeping a database of persistent offenders for displaying illegal ads and fly posting, to act as a resource for authorities when building prosecution cases.

The councils have the right to remove such advertising, giving two days’ notice. If charged, offenders could face an ASBO and under new rules a maximum fine of £2,500, and £250 for each day during which the offence continues.

The report also says that the Campaign to Protect Rural England counted 900 such ads across England last August, one for every three miles of major fast roads, and named Kitchens for Sale, KFC, Tesco and Costa Coffee among the main offenders.